Jack (Daniel Day-Lewis) lives on the site of his abandoned island commune with his 16-year-old daughter Rose (Camilla Belle). Jack has sheltered Rose from the influences of the outside world, but now Rose's emerging womanhood poses troubling questions about the days ahead. A man who has lived a life motivated by environmentalism and other altruistic causes, Jack now rages at those who do not share his concerns, like developer Marty Rance (Beau Bridges), who is building a housing tract on the edge of his property. When Jack invites his girlfriend Kathleen (Catherine Keener) and her sons Rodney (Ryan McDonald) and Thaddius (Paul Dano) to live with them, Rose feels betrayed and the situation quickly becomes precarious. Rose acts out wildly, creating chaos. As everything flies out of control, Jack finds himself trapped in an impossible place and is forced to take action.
2 wins
&
3 nominations
The Woody Woodpecker cartoon used in the movie was updated and then used by NASA to explain space travel to the public.
The panoramic view of the lunar scenery was a Chesley Bonestell painting 13 feet long, mounted on wheels and rolled past a stationary camera. To make the stars appear brightly luminous, 534 holes were punched in the painting and illuminated from behind.
This marked the first time that Grace Stafford (cartoon producer Walter Lantz's wife) did the voice of Woody Woodpecker.
A massive campaign was undertaken to create public awareness of the film during its production. This campaign also attracted the attention of independent producer 'Robert L. Lippert ' who rushed a low budget space travel film, Rocketship X-M (1950), into production to capitalize on this campaign. Legal action forced Lippert to modify the campaign for his film. Material sent to exhibitors for "Rocketship X-M" carried the disclaimer "This is not 'Destination Moon'." Lippert was able to have "Rocketship X-M" into general release more than three weeks before this film had its preview engagements.
In order to make the space suits appear to be in a vacuum they were padded to make them seem inflated. The padding and the studio lights made the suits so hot the actors could wear them for only a few minutes at a time.
Woody Woodpecker:
Ha-ha-ha-HA-ha! It'll never get off the ground. Hmph - no propellers!
Cartoon Narrator:
Rockets do not employ propellers. They use jets.
Woody Woodpecker:
So do gas stoves, but they don't fly to the Moon.
Cartoon Narrator:
Obviously you know nothing about rockets. Now, let's pretend that umbrella of yours is a shotgun.
[It turns into one]
Cartoon Narrator:
Shoot it.
[Woody shoots and goes sliding backwards]
Woody Woodpecker:
Who pushed me?
Cartoon Narrator:
The gun, Woody. The charge not only fired out of the muzzle, it kicked back with equal force against the barrel.
Woody Woodpecker:
Ahhh, it wouldn't happen again in a hundred times.
Cartoon Narrator:
Shoot it at the ground a few times in rapid succession, and see what happens.
[Woody shoots and becomes airborne]
Cartoon Narrator:
That same principle applies to rockets. It is the same shotgun kick of the explosives that throws the rocket forward. That kick, incidentally, is quite independent of the air around the rocket. It works just as well in a vacuum, or in outer space, which is a vacuum.
Industrialist:
Now listen, fella, I've known you from way back. Two-engine planes weren't fast enough: you had to go in for four. Then props weren't fast enough: you had to go in for jets. Now you've got a hold of something else, something that'll go higher and faster than anything that ever existed before. You can't swing it alone, so you're trying to rope us in on it. Well, before we go along with you, you'll have to tell us: what's the payoff?
Jim Barnes:
Dollars and cents? I don't know. I want to do this job because it's never been done. Because I don't know. It's research, it's pioneering. What's the Moon? Another North Pole - another South Pole - our only satellite, our nearest neighbor in the sky.
Industrialist:
But why go there, Jim?
Jim Barnes:
We'll know when we get there; we'll tell you when we get back. It's a venture that I don't want to be left out of.
[Why the government isn't involved if it's so important]
Jim Barnes:
Here's the reason. The vast amount of brains, talents, special skills, and research facilities necessary for this project are not in the government, nor can they be mobilized by the government in peacetime without fatal delay. Only American industry can do this job. And American industry must get to work, now, just as we did in the last war!
Industrialist:
Yes, but the government footed the bill!
Jim Barnes:
And they'll foot this bill, too, if we're successful; you know that. If we fail, we'll take a colossal beating. So we can't fail! Not only is this the greatest adventure awaiting mankind, but it's the greatest challenge ever hurled at American industry. And General Thayer is going to tell you why.
General Thayer:
The reason is quite simple. We are not the only ones who know that the Moon can be reached. We're not the only ones who are planning to go there. The race is on - and we'd better win it, because there is absolutely no way to stop an attack from outer space. The first country that can use the Moon for the launching of missiles... will control the Earth. That, gentlemen, is the most important military fact of this century.
Dr. Charles Cargraves:
You can't buck public opinion; I've tried. Have you seen this?
[Newspaper headline: MASS MEETING PROTESTS RADIOACTIVE ROCKET]
General Thayer:
That isn't public opinion - it's a job of propaganda!
Jim Barnes:
You're almighty right it is. Manufactured and organized - with money and brains. Somebody's out to get us.
Jim Barnes:
Say, Doc, the ship's about ready to take off, isn't she?
Dr. Charles Cargraves:
Except for tests and minor adjustments.
Jim Barnes:
Well, what's the next favorable time?
Dr. Charles Cargraves:
About a month from now.
Jim Barnes:
No, I don't mean that. What's the next favorable time this month?
Dr. Charles Cargraves:
[checking the calendar] The only favorable time this month is about 17 hours from now.
Jim Barnes:
All right, that's it then. We take off in 17 hours.
General Thayer:
Are you out of your mind?
Jim Barnes:
I will be, if we run into any more red tape! Now look, there's no law against taking off a spaceship: it's never been done, so they haven't got around to prohibiting it. If we ask for permission, they'll find a way to block us. So we go now, as soon as we can!
General Thayer:
In an untested ship?
Jim Barnes:
How do you test a thing of this kind? It either works or it doesn't.
[Experiencing spacesickness]
General Thayer:
I know one thing: unless these pills work, space travel isn't going to be... popular.
General Thayer:
On the Moon! Jim, Doc, we're on the Moon!
Joe Sweeney:
And we're alive - holy cow! General, the next time you tell me you can get to the Moon, I'll believe you!
[after stepping onto the Moon's surface]
Jim Barnes:
Claim it, Doc! I'm your witness - claim it officially.
Dr. Charles Cargraves:
By the grace of God, and the name of the United States of America, I take possession of this planet on behalf of, and for the benefit of, all mankind.
Factual errors: The first countdown takes 14 seconds to get from "20" to "Fire."
Crew or equipment visible: During the moonwalk, studio lights are seen reflected in the glass visors of the astronauts' helmets.
Revealing mistakes: During the early scenes in zero-gravity, some of the wires are visible.
Revealing mistakes: Although the characters mention that radio signals take 3 seconds to travel between the earth and the moon, earth replies arrive almost instantaneously during conversations with the men on the moon.
Edited into
Time Machine: The Journey Back (1993) (V)
Referenced in
Flight to Mars (1951)
Flash Gordon (1980)
"Futurama: The Series Has Landed (#1.2)" (1999)
- Name of one of the rides
Mission to Mars (2000)
Cinemania (2002)
- Harvey shows the soundtrack album to Jack.
Steven Spielberg and the Original 'War of the Worlds' (2005) (V)
- mentioned once
Featured in
The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal (1985)
A Century of Science Fiction (1996) (V)
Monsterama Sci-Fi Late Night Creature Feature Show Vol. 1 (1996) (V)
- This film's theatrical trailer is featured.
Watch the Skies!: Science Fiction, the 1950s and Us (2005) (TV)
- Excerpt shown
Spoofed in
Destination Meatball (1951)
Destination Magoo (1954)